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Next reports sales rise over Christmas thanks to strong online performance and cold weather | Next reports sales rise over Christmas thanks to strong online performance and cold weather |
(about 5 hours later) | |
High-street retailer Next has reported a rise in full-price sales for the crucial Christmas period, helped in particular by strong online sales and cold weather. | |
The company said on Wednesday that full-price sales rose by 1.5 per cent in the 54 days from 1 November to 24 December, compared to the same period a year earlier. Retail sales fell by 6.1 per cent but that was easily offset by a 13.6 per cent surge in online sales. | |
The group said that the better-than-expected performance had encouraged it to marginally nudge up its profit guidance for full-year results to January 2018. It now expects group profit to be somewhere in the range of £718m to £732m. | The group said that the better-than-expected performance had encouraged it to marginally nudge up its profit guidance for full-year results to January 2018. It now expects group profit to be somewhere in the range of £718m to £732m. |
“Where we fall within this range will depend on our sales in January,” Next said. | “Where we fall within this range will depend on our sales in January,” Next said. |
Nonetheless, the group also hit a slightly cautious note for the coming year. | Nonetheless, the group also hit a slightly cautious note for the coming year. |
“Subdued consumer demand driven by a decline in real income, the increase in experiential spending at the expense of clothing, and inflation in our cost prices remain challenges for 2018,” it said. | “Subdued consumer demand driven by a decline in real income, the increase in experiential spending at the expense of clothing, and inflation in our cost prices remain challenges for 2018,” it said. |
Inflation hit a multiyear year high of above 3 per cent at the tail end of 2017, and wage growth has been stagnant which has weighed on consumers’ appetite for spending – especially on non-essential items. | |
But Next says it expects cost price inflation to ease as the year goes on. It said that it is budgeting for full-price sales in 2018 to be between minus 2 per cent and plus 4 per cent. | |
The mid-point of that range – an increase of 1 per cent – represents a slight improvement on the 0.3 per cent growth pencilled in for the year that ends in January. | |
Based on that sales forecast, the retailer said that it expects group profit to be around £705m for the coming year. That’s lower than the current year because the operational costs are forecast to continue to grow faster than sales. | |
Next is due to report full annual results for the year to the end of January on 23 March. It said that at that time it would also provide more a detailed guidance on sales, costs, profit and cash flow for the year ahead. |
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